Christmas Morning
by dee768nj
Summary: Complete! A little holiday fluff. Stephanie wakes up on Christmas morning in a strange bed, naked. Babe, not Morelli friendly. Very short chapters, but fun! WARNING: Adult situations, bad language, lust, sappiness. But no angst!
1. Chapter 1

_Begun and ended in response to December 2007 challenges on perfectlyplum. One of my earliest stories. Very short chapters, but fun!  
_

_Disclaimer: Not mine, not making any money. Characters belong to Janet Evanovich._

_WARNING: Adult situations, nakedness, bad language. But fun!  
_

**Christmas Morning**

By Dee

1

My awakening was slow and painful. Oh, God.

My mouth was the Sahara, all sand, no moisture whatsoever, hot wind blowing through it. Crap. That was my breath, mouth-breathing because my nose was completely plugged up. And the taste… Eeuw! I thanked my lucky stars I couldn't smell it.

My head felt like it was riding in Lula's car, pulsating with the engine, pounding with the beat of the hiphop roaring out of the speakers. Even though the room was silent.

And I was naked.

I cracked open an eye a teeny, tiny bit, trying to figure out where the hell I was. Thank God it was dim and cool in here. No bright lights to laser my brain into tiny pieces.

Oh, Ranger's bed. I didn't know what to think of that. I didn't remember how I got here.

I gasped as a noise sounded right in my ear. A low groan. It scared the crap out of me, and all of a sudden my heart was palpitating in counterpoint to the throbbing of my head.

It's not Halloween, is it? So it can't be a ghost. I think it's Christmas.

I turned my head a little bit, keeping my movements very slow so as not to increase the pounding, and peered toward the noise. All I could see was a lump under the covers topped by a red fuzzy hat with a white pompon on the long tail.

Am I sleeping with Santa?

As I looked, my bleary brain trying to emerge from the wooliness within, strong brown fingers emerged and drew the covers down just far enough to reveal a very red, round nose.

Rudolph?

"Babe," groaned a voice, a voice I recognized.

Oh, it was all starting to make sense now. Ranger's bed, so it must be Ranger next to me.

I slid a tentative hand over and touched skin. Bare skin.

I moved the hand around a bit.

Oh, God. Naked Ranger.

"Babe," came the groan again. "Much as I want to ravage your body right now, I think I need some aspirin first."

"Me, too." Was that my voice? It sounded more like a gravel truck.

What the hell was I doing here? The last thing I remembered was going with Joe to the Cop Hop, the Trenton PD's annual Christmas Eve party.

Another groan came from the man beside me. "Dios, I knew I shouldn't have had the eggnog."

Oh, yeah, the eggnog…

_TBC_


	2. Chapter 2

2

The TPD holiday party was held in the hall of the Elks' Lodge. This year the force had gone all out, had even gotten several private donations to supplement their small budget.

The hall looked terrific, with big sparking snowflakes and oversized glittering red and green ornaments hanging from the ceiling.

The buffet was great, too, with big pans of lasagna and ziti and meatballs in sauce, plus cold cuts with fresh Italian rolls, potato salad, and lots more. There were trays of all kinds of homemade cookies for dessert. Yum. Christmas cookies.

But the pièce de résistance was the open bar. Not only was there just about every type of drink you could imagine, but there were also huge bowls of spiked eggnog and sparking red punch on a table next to the bar, with oversized cups for our drinking pleasure.

Joe almost never took me out anywhere, preferring to sit in front of the TV watching hockey and eating pizza. I'd been looking forward to the opportunity to go out for months. I thought maybe being out at one of Trenton's prime social events would be just what we needed to put a little spice back into what was becoming a rather predictable relationship. About the only thing we had going for us was the sex. Joe was always ready, sometimes even when I wasn't.

After Joe and I ate our fill, we sat at a large table with Eddie and Shirley Gazarra, Carl Costanza and Rosalie Romano, and Big Dog and his wife Letitia. When the band came on and began with a spirited version of the Jingle Bell Rock, the other couples all got up to dance.

"Hey, Joe, dance with me, pleeeease?" I begged. I knew he didn't like to dance, but I thought since it was a special occasion maybe I could talk him into it.

He nuzzled my neck. "Cupcake, you know I hate to dance. Let's head home and you can dance for me later. A nice striptease would be just what the doctor ordered."

I frowned at him. "Joe, we came here to have fun, and I really want to dance. Please?"

He shook his head. "Dancing is not fun."

We sat in silence for a few minutes and then the band launched into White Christmas, a nice slow version. All the older couples got up, joining the younger ones on the dance floor. We were almost the only people left seated.

"How about a nice slow dance, Joe?" I pleaded. "All we really have to do is stand there and sway."

"Cupcake, I told you, I'm ready to go. Get your things and let's get out of here."

"I guess I'll go get a drink. Do you want anything?"

"I want to leave, Cupcake. The Rangers are out west and the game will be starting soon. If you don't want to go home with me, fine. Stay here. I'm sure you can get a ride home with someone."

"Joe…" I began, but he turned and walked toward the coatroom.

Fine.

_TBC_


	3. Chapter 3

_Cupcake warning. Not Morelli friendly._

3

As I watched Joe shrugging into his coat on the far side of the room, the door opened and in came Lula, Tank, and a bunch of the Rangemen, including, doubletake, the Range Man himself. Ranger. Holy shit! Who knew Batman was into Christmas parties?

Lula saw me right away and came barreling over. "Hey, there, girlfriend, I was hopin' you'd be here. Where's Supercop?"

"Hey, Lula. Joe didn't want to dance and he thought watching the hockey game on TV would be more fun than being here, so I sent him home. Wanna dance with me?"

"It's what I live for." Lula shrugged out of her fire-engine-red faux fur coat, dropping it onto a chair. She was a vision in bright red and lime green spandex, somehow working it to look terrific.

The band had finished with the token Christmas music and was playing something with a driving beat. Lula and I hit the dance floor, and before the song was over Tank and Lester had joined us.

When the song ended, Lester grabbed me, spun me around hard, and then dipped me all the way to the floor. I was laughing, and he pulled me up into a big hug. As we walked toward the table the other guys had secured, Lester guided me to an empty seat next to Ranger and sat down beside me.

"Hey, Ranger."

I was still laughing from Lester's antics, and Ranger responded with a genuine smile. "Babe."

"What are you doing here? I wouldn't have thought that the Police Party would be your cup of tea."

"RangeMan sponsored the open bar for the party, so I thought it would be nice to put in an appearance," he told me, sliding his arm across the back of my chair and leaning close so I could hear him over the music. "We frequently cooperate with the department, and making contributions and socializing helps us maintain a good working relationship."

Wow, a lot of words from Batman.

We sat and watched the dancers for a minute, and then the band diverted into a salsa beat. A gleam came into Ranger's melted dark chocolate eye, and he held out a hand to me.

"Wanna dance, Babe?"

"Sure." I put my hand in his, letting him guide me to the dance floor.

Wow, Ranger sure was a good dancer. I'd never danced with him before, although I'd suspected with his Cuban heritage he'd be a natural. And I was right. He was gentle and graceful steering me through the rapid moves, spinning me away and then pulling me tight to his body.

It was such a sensual experience that I totally let myself go, dancing with passion and abandon. As the dance ended Ranger went down to one knee and bent me backwards across his thigh, my body flexed and back arched, so that my hair touched the floor.

His gaze was intent on my own as he raised me up and stood, and we were both smiling. Suddenly someone grabbed my wrist and jerked me away from Ranger so hard that my ankle turned on my four-inch spike heels and I almost went down. Shit, that hurt. As I caught my balance I looked up. Joe.

"Time to go, Cupcake," he said through clenched teeth, starting to drag me toward the door, hand still clamped around my wrist. I tried to withdraw from his grasp, and his hold tightened.

"Joe, let go. You're hurting me."

Joe was still trying to pull me toward the door, and his grip on my arm was bringing tears to my eyes. Suddenly the vise on my arm loosened as Ranger grabbed Joe's wrist and squeezed.

"Let her go, Morelli," he intoned in a very quiet, yet deadly voice.

"This is none of your fuckin' business, Manoso, so get the fuck out of here."

"When you hurt Stephanie, that makes it my business." Ranger's tone was still dangerous.

Joe's right arm came flying up in a big windmill and his fist smashed into Ranger's nose. Ranger made no move to defend himself, just let it happen. A crowd had gathered, and a ripple went through it at the punch.

Ranger leaned in and spoke so softly that nobody could hear except Joe and me. "Morelli, you just assaulted me in the presence of a hundred witnesses, half of them cops. If you don't leave quietly I'm going to press charges. And we'll be documenting the bruise you just put on Stephanie's wrist. If you ever touch her again, I'll see that you end up behind bars."

Joe looked at me, his whiskey-colored eyes pleading. "Come on, Cupcake, I'm sorry if I hurt you. Come home with me. We'll watch the game." He tried to put on his charming smile, but it was a pretty pathetic attempt.

"No, Joe. You wanted to go home and watch the hockey game, so you just do that," I said. "And don't call me. Our relationship has been going downhill for quite a while, and this is the last straw. It's time to end it. For good."

"Okay, Cupcake, if you say so. But when he finishes with you and tosses you back, don't come crawling to me." And Joe turned and walked out the door.

I wasn't sure how I was going to feel tomorrow, but right now all I felt was free. "Come on," I said to Ranger, limping toward the bar on my sore ankle. "I need a drink."

_TBC_


	4. Chapter 4

4

Okay, the dance with Ranger, the fight with Joe, all that was pretty clear in my mind. I lay there in Ranger's bed trying to feel bad about Joe, but my wrist was stiff and hurt when I tried to bend it, and my ankle felt swollen and sore, too. And Ranger's poor nose. I just couldn't dredge up any compassion for Joe after what he'd done and said.

Ranger rolled my way, reaching out for me, and I clamped both hands over my mouth. "Need to brush my teeth," I mumbled through my fingers. "But I can't move."

He put a hand to his head, feeling the Santa hat, and quickly yanked it off, muttering, "Shit."

I grinned behind my hands. Batman drunk and out of control. Wish I could remember more of what happened.

He rolled away from me and sat up on the edge of the bed. I watched the rippling muscles in his back, and all of a sudden my dry mouth was filled with saliva. His body was amazing, incredible, edible. I just wanted to lick it all over.

After a minute he stood, giving me an excellent view of those perfect glutes. Man, would I ever like to sink my teeth into those! I could feel the dampness growing between my legs as he walked away from me, gorgeous muscles flexing, and into his dressing room.

A moment later he emerged wearing his silk boxers low on his hips and carrying a t-shirt in his hand. I stared at the trail of hair that began at his navel and led down to paradise. Finally dragging my gaze up his chest, pausing for a full view of well-developed pecs with small, dark nipples that just begged my lips to nuzzle them, my eyes reached his face. A slight smile was playing on his beautiful lips, and…

"Omigod, Ranger, your nose…"

I had a vague memory of telling him at the party last night that he should put some ice on his nose and him responding, "Real men don't need ice."

Idiot.

But now he brought a hand up and touched it, wincing. "I'll get some ice," he said. "How's your wrist? Do you need some, too?"

I brought my hands out from under the covers, being careful to keep the sheet well up under my arms, covering my breasts. But he was staring at the spot the sheet ended, his eyes darkening as I watched.

"Ahem," I said, holding out my wrist, which had turned a rainbow of spectacular colors, red, green, blue, black. "Yes, please, and I think some for my ankle, too."

"Let's see it," he said, coming around to my side of the bed, taking my hand and pressing his lips to my palm.

I stuck just my foot off the side of the bed, and he sat down on the edge, taking my ankle in his hands, running gentle fingers over it and flexing it carefully.

"I think it's sprained," he said. "We'll put some ice on it, and I'll call Bobby later to come up and wrap it."

He slid a hand along my leg where it disappeared under the covers, up my calf to my knee, making small circles with his index finger. As he started up my thigh I quickly pulled back, saying, "Hold it right there, pal. Ice, remember?"

He gave me a wolf grin, but rose, handed me the t-shirt, and headed for the kitchen.

I pulled on the t-shirt and took advantage of his momentary absence to run into the bathroom. Only it turned out I couldn't run anywhere, couldn't even walk. My ankle had swollen overnight and hurt much more this morning than it had last night. But I managed to get to the bathroom by half hopping, half hobbling, my head pounding with every jolt.

After taking care of nature, cleaning last night's makeup off my face, and brushing my teeth with a new toothbrush I found on the vanity, I still felt like doggie doo. I needed the cure and a whole bunch more sleep before I could face the day.

Oh, crap! It's Christmas! I needed to get over to my parents' by mid-afternoon for presents and then dinner. Well, I still had time to get a few hours' sleep first.

I opened the door and started my hop-skip back toward the bed when I was scooped up into Ranger's arms. Another memory from last night came back to me, him carrying me out of the Elks' Lodge to the car, his lips on my hair, my neck, my face, sliding me into the backseat and climbing in next to me, kissing me passionately with lots of tongue.

He was gentle when he deposited me onto the bed, dropping a kiss on my forehead and handing me a bottle of aspirin and a bottle of water from the bedside table. I gratefully swallowed three of the tablets and gulped half the water, then lay back on the pillows.

He climbed in next to me and placed an icepack on my ankle and another on my wrist, his hands careful, tenderness and anger mingling in his expression. Pulling the sheet up over us and laying on his back, he pulled me tight against his side with one arm and brought a third icepack up to cover his nose.

"Go back to sleep for a while, Babe." And he closed his eyes.

_TBC_


	5. Chapter 5

5

I lay in the warmth of Ranger's embrace, still trying to remember what happened after the fight. Things came back to me in snatches, disconnected vignettes.

I remembered drinking beer, lots of it, laughing and joking with Lula and the guys. And later, slow dancing with Ranger, him holding me tight against his hardness, my feet not touching the floor. And the possessiveness when he kissed me at midnight, murmuring, "Merry Christmas, Babe."

Since the bar was so well stocked, right after midnight the guys acquired a bottle of tequila and began drinking shots. I knew there was no way I could keep up with them, and I didn't even try. But sometime during the shotfest Lester produced a handful of Santa hats, and they were all wearing them, even Ranger. He really must be feeling the liquor.

I wasn't partaking of the shots, but I'd been longing for eggnog all evening. And the caterer had just replaced the depleted punchbowl with a fresh one. It looked delicious, frothy and creamy, and a small crowd was gathered around to partake.

I hobbled over on stocking feet, having abandoned my heels shortly after the ankle-twisting incident, and got two cups. Limping back to the table, I handed one to Ranger.

"Babe."

"Oh, shut up and drink it, Ranger. And don't tell me you don't do dessert. This isn't dessert. It's a drink. A delicious, healthy drink made with milk and eggs. A lot like your smoothies, except without the fruit."

He appraised it, sniffed it. Although all the beer and shots hadn't seemed to be affecting him, the Santa hat was clear evidence that he was very relaxed.

"Try-y-y it," I urged. "You'll li-i-ike it."

He held up the cup of eggnog in a toast. "To you, Babe."

I held my cup up, too. "To you, Ranger."

And we solemnly clicked together the large plastic cups and drank it down.

_oOo_

After he carried me to the car I must have fallen asleep, because I had no memory of arriving at the RangeMan building, coming up to his apartment, removing my clothes…

Omigod, we were both naked when we woke up. I wondered if we…

"Don't worry, Babe," Ranger said from beside me, his eyes still closed. "Nothing happened last night. We were both too drunk."

"So why were we naked?" I asked, almost disappointed. Didn't he want me?

"I always want you, Babe. More than I should. More than anything…" He trailed off.

"Did you undress me?"

"Yeah, I thought you'd be more comfortable out of those clothes. I was going to put a t-shirt on you, but I guess I fell asleep first."

I snuggled up against him, not wanting to think anymore. The steady rise and fall of his chest under my cheek was comforting, and I could tell when he fell asleep by the deepened movement.

Feeling him breathe was even better than counting sheep, and I soon followed him into blissful oblivion.

_TBC_


	6. Chapter 6

6

I awoke to the most heavenly smell in the world. McDonald's fries. Huh, guess when they said open 24 hours, they meant it. Even on Christmas.

Ranger was still in bed beside me, the icepack gone from his face, his nose looking much better, almost completely back to normal. Damn, how does he do it?

I, on the other hand, was still suffering from a painfully bruised wrist and swollen purple ankle.

"Knock, knock," came a voice from the partially open bedroom door. "Ho, ho, ho, merry Christmas. Santa is here with presents."

It was Lester, carrying the blessed virgin McDonald's bag and a super-sized Coke, followed by Bobby with his medical kit.

I scooched up against the headboard, taking the bag from Lester and moaning with pleasure as the first salty, greasy goodness hit my mouth. After a huge gulp of Coke, I sighed. Things were looking up.

"Thanks, guys," I told them. "I really needed the four basic food groups this morning."

"Four basic food groups?" Ranger raised an eyebrow at me.

"Sugar, salt, fat, and caffeine," I answered with a smile, shoveling more fries into my mouth. I was feeling better for sure.

After giving me a few minutes to eat Bobby came over and sat down on my side of the bed. "Let's see that ankle, Sweetheart."

I was careful flipping the covers off, making sure I was decent, that Ranger's t-shirt was covering me. I still had no underwear on, and it made me a little nervous.

Bobby was quick and efficient wrapping my ankle in an elastic bandage, saying, "Keep the bandage on all the time, except when you're showering, and keep icing it every few hours for the next couple of days. Try to stay off it as much as possible and it should be fine in a week or so."

"Thanks, Bobby," I told him, grateful that there was no trip to the emergency room in my future. At least the near future. "And thanks again for the cure, Les. Oh, and merry Christmas."

Ranger got out of bed and walked the guys out. I could hear the rumbling of voices from the other room, and then the door closing. He came back into the bedroom carrying a large tray of muffins. I could smell coffee brewing.

"Ella left these yesterday for breakfast the next couple of days," he told me. "She and Louis are on vacation until January second, visiting their son in Miami."

He set the tray on the bed and went back to the kitchen, returning after a minute with a pot of coffee and two mugs. I sucked down the last of my Coke and reached for a muffin and coffee. Now that I'd had the cure I was hungry.

As we ate another memory slithered into my mind, sitting in the backseat of the SUV with Ranger, him telling me he loved me, and me drunkenly reciprocating.

Omigod! Drunken declarations of love. Jeez, what next?

"I meant it, you know," Ranger told me, taking my coffee cup from my hand, setting it down, and pulling me into his arms. "I've been waiting for you to be finished with Morelli, and after last night there's no way I'm letting you go back to him."

"There's no way I would. That was a side of him I've never seen before, and I never want to see again."

"Babe," Ranger began, his expression serious. Oh, crap. This is where he tells me he loves me in his own way, doesn't come with a ring, lifestyle doesn't lend itself to relationships, yada, yada, yada.

"It's okay, Ranger," I interrupted him. "You don't need to say it. I've heard it before, and I haven't forgotten."

"No, Babe, you haven't heard this before."

Huh?

"Stephanie, I've been in love with you for years now, and I'm through waiting for someday to come. I want you, and I want you now. For good. Forever."

Huh?

"I would have preferred that you broke up with Morelli on your own, without the mess that happened last night, but at least it's over. If you want to wait until a decent interval has passed before we get together, I can wait until you're ready, but I just want you to know right now. You're mine, and I'm not going to give you up again."

"What makes you think I want you, Ranger?" Okay, he knew damn well how much I wanted him. If he hadn't sent me back to Joe last time, we'd already be together.

"Babe," he said with a 200-watt smile. He always knew exactly what I was thinking.

He continued, "It was the biggest mistake of my life, sending you back to Morelli, and not one I will ever repeat. I love you, Stephanie, with everything I have. Be mine, for good. Forever."

He looked so hot sitting there bare-chested and beautiful, and I had loved him for so long, that I did the only thing I could. "I love you, Ranger," I said and threw myself into his arms.

After a little while he pulled away with reluctance. "We don't have time now for me to show you just how much I love you. We need to get ready to go to your parents' house.

"We?" I questioned.

"You don't think I'm going to let you go, even for a minute, do you?"

He was right. I needed to make it clear to my family that I was through with Joe, even if we didn't tell anyone about us for a while. In addition to always knowing what I was thinking, Ranger always knew exactly what I needed.

"Okay," I answered him. "Let's go get ready."

And with a quick kiss I hopped off toward the bathroom.

_oOo_

_With one more sentence, this was the original end of the story. Then another challenge came up, so..... TBC_


	7. Chapter 7

_Warning: Sappy!_

7

"Babe, it's three-thirty," Ranger said, standing just outside my bathroom door as I finished up my hair and makeup.

I was rushing to get ready to go over to my parents' house for presents and then dinner. We were at my apartment so that I could change and pick up the gifts. I knew we had to be there by four at the latest, or my mom would cut me off from dessert for life.

I hobbled from the bathroom to the bedroom, trying not to put too much weight on my bandaged ankle. Dropping my robe on the floor, I stood there, clad in a tiny blue thong and a matching pushup bra. Even with my back to the door I felt that tingle shooting up my spine to the back of my neck telling me he was there, watching.

Without turning, I slipped into a royal blue dress, stepped into a pair of flat shoes in deference to my sprained ankle, and said, "Zip me up, please?"

I held my hair up off my shoulders, and the feeling of Ranger's fingers on my bare back increased the tingle to an outright shiver. God, he could turn me on with just a touch.

He finished zipping me up and kissed the spot where my neck met my shoulder. The contact sent a bolt of lightning through my nipples, hardening them and making them tingle, and on down through my belly to my center. Suddenly my thong was feeling uncomfortably damp.

"Take it off, Babe," Ranger suggested, low and hoarse.

His fingers stroked down each side of my hips and raised the hem of my dress, teasing my thighs as they meandered upward toward where I desperately wanted them to be.

Moaning, I exerted the tremendous effort necessary to pull myself back together and stepped away. "Not now, Batman." Much as I wanted him I just couldn't let myself give in or we'd be late. "Later, after dinner."

"That's a promise, Babe."

"I'm ready. Let's go," I told him.

He looked me up and down, his eyes dark with desire. Then he made his own visible effort to gather himself.

Reaching into his pocket he said, "I was going to save this for later, but you look so incredible that I want you to have it now, to wear with that dress. Merry Christmas, Babe."

He handed me an aqua Tiffany box tied with a silver ribbon. It was oblong, as if it contained a bracelet or necklace.

I felt torn. On the one hand I was thrilled that he got me a Christmas gift. On the other hand, Tiffany's… Expensive. I had a gift for him, the limited edition 1960s Batmobile with wings. It was pretty cool, and I thought he needed some more personal things in his apartment, but there's no way it compared to something from Tiffany's.

"Aren't you going to open it, Babe?" he asked, looking into my mind, knowing exactly what I was thinking as always. "As soon as I saw it I knew it was just perfect for you."

Awww… Feeling all squishy inside, I took the box and pulled off the ribbon. Opening it I gasped. It was a bracelet of sapphires connected by platinum links. It was amazing, and I knew it must have cost thousands of dollars.

"Omigod, it's gorgeous," I told him, "but it's too much."

"On the contrary, it's nowhere near enough. Its beauty doesn't hold a candle to yours." He took it out of the box and before I knew it he had fastened it onto my unbruised wrist.

I held my arm out, turning it this way and that, enthralled by the sparkling blue stones reflecting the light.

"You were still with Morelli when I bought this, but it didn't matter. I knew as soon as I saw it that it was meant for you. You're mine now, and as soon as you're comfortable letting everyone know about us I'll be putting a ring on your finger. If you'll have me, that is."

I threw myself into his arms. "Oh, Ranger, of course I'll have you! You've given me the best gift I've ever gotten. You've made this the best Christmas ever." I smashed my mouth against his, trying to put everything I was feeling into my kiss.

After a long time we pulled apart and headed out the door into our life together.

_The end._


End file.
